The Left government in Kerala has offered to fully fund the education of the Muzaffarnagar pupil who was slapped by his classmates on the orders of their teacher.

Primary education minister and CPM leader V. Sivankutty on Monday told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the state was ready to adopt the boy and fund his education, if his parents were ready to send him to Kerala.

“Kerala is inviting the child to study here. We will provide all the facilities for him. If his parents agree, our education department is ready to fund his education,” the minister said.

He noted that the private school in which the child was studying had been shut down temporarily, pending an investigation. “That child cannot study in that school anymore. He can come here and be assured of education without any kind of documents like a transfer certificate or birth certificate,” he added.

The child’s father told The Telegraph on Monday that he was in the process of admitting his son to another school.

“I am very grateful to the Kerala government for making this offer. It is so kind of them. But I am in the process of admitting my son to a school in Shahpur (near Muzaffarnagar), on the advice of Maulana Arshad Madani (principal of the Darul Uloom Deoband),” he said.

“The Maulana had sent his representatives to meet me. So, I have already agreed to shift my son to their school and admit him in the UKG class,” added the father who had earlier decided not to pursue a police case against the erring headmistress.

Bharatiya Kisan Union president Naresh Tikait had on Friday convened a panchayat in the village and got one of the boys who slapped the child to hug him in a reconciliation bid following a meeting with representatives of both communities.